could merge into a single and beautiful entity. Each participant would bring the fruits of his or her private attention to the public table; judgments and interpretations would be tested there, found wanting or found wise, related to the judgments of others. Agreements could be reached, tensions identified—tensions in the group but perhaps also in the texts—and fundamental disagreements could be acknowledged with mutual charity. The difficulty is to find, in any given place, people who are willing and able to pursue such a noble endeavor,
